Adaptive Touch is here, unlock your Pixel 9 even when your fingers are wet

Adaptive Touch has launched for the Google Pixel 9 series, and it makes that ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner even more useful. Why? Well, it allows you to unlock your phone even when your fingers are wet.

Adaptive Touch is now here for the Google Pixel 9 series

Google did not mention Adaptive Touch during the launch event, but Mishaal Rahman just shared the details. This feature should not only make the devices easier to unlock with wet fingers, but it should work better with screen protectors too.

This feature sits in the Display settings (as shown below), and it should be included on your device when you get it. You do not need to manually turn it off, it’s enabled by default. This feature will tweak your device’s touch sensitivity based on your surroundings and related to whether you’re using a screen protector or not.

It makes using your phone with wet hands a non-problem

Mishaal Rahman even released a video with Android Authority in which he demos the feature. In that video, he compared the Google Pixel 9 with Adaptive Touch, and the Pixel 8 Pro without it. It makes a huge difference for actual phone usage, as the Pixel 9 registered touches a lot better than the Pixel 8 Pro.

Do note that you can always disable Adaptive Touch if you want, though we don’t see why you’d do that. It should make using your phone with wet hands a lot easier, and there doesn’t seem to be a drawback.

It may not be a huge difference for some of you, if you’re not using your devices with wet hands, of course. But for others, it will make a huge difference.

Another thing worth noting is that the screen protector mode toggle is still available, as a separate setting. We presume that it’s still there for people who don’t want to use Adaptive Touch.